Persimmon rosette tart

Method

• step 1

  For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl with your fingers until its texture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and sugar and mix until it forms a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.

• step 2

  Remove the pastry from the fridge, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a circle few centimetres larger than the bottom of the tin. Line a 20cm fluted tart tin with the pastry (use your rolling pin: roll the pastry around it, then unroll the pastry on top of the tart tin), push the pastry with your fingers so it completely and uniformly cover the tin. Roll over the top of the pastry borders with the rolling pin to give it a beautiful finish. Prick the surface of the pastry a several times with a fork. Chill the tart case for at least 30 mins.

• step 3

  Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put a large disc of baking parchment big enough to cover the edges, and some baking beans to weigh it down (use dried rice or beans if you don’t have baking beans). Bake blind for 10 mins, then remove the parchment and the beans and bake for a further 7-10 mins or until the bottom is evenly cooked and golden colour. Allow to cool slightly before adding the filling. Turn down the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

• step 4

  Meanwhile, make the frangipane. Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl until smooth. Add the ground almonds, eggs and cinnamon, and mix until well-combined. Scoop the mixture into the bottom of the tart shell, and spread it into an even layer. Bake the tarts for about 10 minutes, until it is just starting to set (it should still be quite soft).

• step 5

  Slice the tops off of the persimmons and cut into two halves. Using a very sharp knife slice the persimmons into thin slices. Arrange them in a rosette shape: start at the outer edge and placing the slices in concentric circles with an overlap, pressing down slightly to embed them into the frangipane layer (be careful to not press too much!), continue until the entire top of the tart is filled (Tip: make one half of a persimmon a little larger than the other, and use the larger slices for outer layers and the smaller for inner). Bake the tart for another 10 minutes, until the persimmon slices have softened.

• step 6

  Carefully remove the tart from the tin and brush the surface of the tart with a spoonful of honey. Cut with a sharp knife, each piece of the tart should hold the rosette shape. Serve the tart a little warm, or leave to cool. The tart is best served the day that it is made.